• Contact
  • Return to IBSA
  • Advertise Through Us
  • Subscribe
  • E-Reader

IBSA News

Illinois Baptist State Newspaper

  • Quick Links
    • E-Reader
    • Subscribe
    • Advertise
    • Resource
  • News
    • IBSA
    • SBC
    • Culture
    • Illinois Churches
  • Stories
    • Church Planting
    • Mission
  • In Focus
  • Columns
    • Nate Adams
    • Eric Reed
    • Meredith Flynn
    • Table Talk
    • Reporter’s Notebook
    • Encouraging Words

Reporter’s Notebook: SBC Edition

June 26, 2025 By Ben Jones

Ben Jones

Groucho Marx once said, “If you find it hard to laugh at yourself, I would be happy to do it for you.” Although I have been accused of having a “resting serious face,” I also know the importance of having fun, especially together. So here are a few moments at SBC ‘25 that had us […]

SBC: Hitch up, head home

June 12, 2025 By Ben Jones

Pastor Jason Lane

Dallas | The curtain dropped Wednesday afternoon on the 2025 Southern Baptist Convention in Dallas, after four days of frenetic activity. Sermons were preached. Songs were sung. Missionaries were celebrated. Swag was stuffed in bags. Ballots were hoisted, and decisions were made. Some likely didn’t fare as well as they had hoped, but all left […]

SBC: Tuesday roundup from Dallas

June 11, 2025 By Ben Jones

Day 1 Summary

Dallas | If Monday sent Dallas SBC messengers out of the chute, then Tuesday would answer the question, Is this bull we’re riding a “dink” (not much action) or an “arm jerker” (hold on tight)? With most of the day’s 10,500 registered messengers (plus thousands of guests) still streaming into the cavernous Hall F, the […]

Dallas messengers celebrate 100 years of cooperation

June 10, 2025 By Ben Jones

CP 100th Anniversary

Dallas | For 100 years Southern Baptists have chosen to give a portion of their tithes and offerings to the Cooperative Program (CP), entrusting that unified giving plan to send missionaries, start churches, educate students, and strengthen churches, near home and around the world. Messengers in Dallas Tuesday afternoon paused their business of voting and […]

SBC: Out of the chute in Dallas

June 10, 2025 By Ben Jones

Darin and Doris Peterson

Dallas | Nearly 10,000 Southern Baptists messengers woke up in Dallas ready to run into the first day of business at the 167th annual meeting of the 180 year-old convention. Over 150 were Illinois Baptists who made the trip to the Lone Star State. A number of matters are expected to produce floor discussion and […]

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • …
  • 14
  • Next Page »

Featured Columns

Where is God when it hurts?

Tony Martin

This isn’t one of those pieces that ties everything up in a neat spiritual bow. It’s not filled with pat answers or hollow clichés. It’s born out of pain, prayer and the unshakable truth that — even in the flood — God is still present. The recent flooding in Texas has left so many of […]

Doug Munton

Navigating a season of change

Doug Munton

Nothing is scarier than change. (Well, maybe spiders are scarier, but I digress.) But here is the reality we face. Change is happening all the time, whether we like it or not. The real issue isn’t whether things will change, but how we deal with the change that is inevitable. So, let’s talk about navigating […]

How ‘what’ and ‘why’ unify

Nate Adams

The 2025 Southern Baptist Convention is behind us, and with it the meetings, reports, motions, and actions that pleased some and disappointed others. I know that many church members and even pastors rarely or never attend an SBC in person. That was true for me until I was almost 40, so I appreciate the reality […]

More Columns

John MacArthur leaves legacy ‘on a generation of preachers’

Brandon Porter, Baptist Press

Sun Valley, Calif. | Longtime pastor, author and teacher John F. MacArthur died July 14 after a short battle with pneumonia. MacArthur, 86, pastored Grace Community Church in the Los Angeles area for 56 years. “At the center of Dr. MacArthur’s ministry was an unwavering commitment to declare God’s truth, and Pastor John preached the […]

News

Ben Mandrell

Illinois native Ben Mandrell assumes Adrian Rogers’ pulpit

Brandon Porter, Baptist Press

Cordova, Tenn. | Ben Mandrell has been called to be the senior pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church. Mandrell, a native of Tampico, Ill., has served as president and CEO of Lifeway Christian Resources since the summer of 2019. “I cannot tell you how thankful we are for this moment,” Mandrell, 48, said in a statement […]

SBC Worship platform draws thousands of churches in first month, leader says

IRS opens door for pastors to endorse politicians

More News Stories

Mission

“While we have not yet arrived at the destination we envision, I believe we are clearly headed in the right direction,” said IMB President Paul Chitwood to trustees in the May 22 plenary session. IMB Photo

IMB trustees appoint new missionaries, elect first woman chair

Leslie Caldwell

Richmond | International Mission Board trustees approved 65 fully funded missionaries for appointment during their May 21-22 meeting near Richmond, Virginia. The missionaries approved for appointment will be recognized during a Sending Celebration on Tuesday, June 10, at 10:08 a.m. CDT in conjunction with the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Dallas. The event will […]

Metro East church plant hosts multiplication meeting

Sallateeska baptism demonstrates SBC connections

More Mission Stories

  • News
  • Mission
  • In Focus
  • Columns

Copyright © 2025 · Website by Megaphone Designs